Vehicle intermittent combustion type power plant



Feb. 10, 1953 F, M. CHRISTIAN 2,627,715

VEHICLE NTERMITTENT COMBUSTION TYPE POWER PLANT Filed Deo. 12, 1947 4 sheets-sheet 1 IIIIIHIIIII w IIIIIIIIIIII" EMM 11 ,INI/ENTOR.

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Feb. 10, 1953 F. M. CHRISTIAN 2,627,716

VEHICLE INTERMITTENT COMBUSTION TYPE POWER PLANT Filed Dec. 12, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheecl 2 v of --i ff Wiz-e. 2.

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Feb. 10, 1953 F, M. CHRISTIAN 2,627,716

VEHICLE INTERMITTENT COMBUSTION TYPE POWER PLANT Filed Deo. l2, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 musi um m

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Feb. 10, 1953 F. M. CHRISTIAN VEHICLE INTERMITTENT COMBUSTION TYPE POWER PLANT Filed Deo. 12, 1947 l INVENTOR. /fkA/v/r /M CHR/5MM,

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Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE INTEBMITTENT COMBUSTION TYPE POWER PLANT 6 Claims. 1

My invention relates to vehicle power plants, .and included in the object of my invention are:

First, to provide a vehicle power plant wherein fuel is consumed in xed combustion chambers and the products of combustion employed to drive rotary engines.

Second, to provide a vehicle power pl-ant of this character wherein the combustion chambers may operate initially by spark ignition. Then after such initial period the combustion chambers may be operated by fuel injection.

Third, `to provide a vehicle power plant which eliminates pistons or other relatively heavy reciprocating parts and, although operable at wide ranges of speed, does not require a clutch trans.- mission or differential drive.

Fourth, to provide a vehicle power plant, the parts of which are easily accessible for servicing, repair or replacement, which vis economic of con.- struction, maintenance, and operation.

With the above and other objects in view which may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic plan vieW vof a ve.- hicle chassis showing the ele-ments of my power plant in their relative positions.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken through 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial plan partially sectional view of one of the power units, the section being taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken approximately along the line ll-fi of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragment-ary sectional view simiflar to 'Figure .4 showing the'mechanism employed to control the compressed air inlet valves.

Figure 6 is a similar partial section view showing the control mechanism for the fuel injection and spark control mechanisms.

Figure 7 is -a similar fragmentary sectional view showing the control for the discharge valves.

Figure 8 is another similar partial sectional view showing the controls for the exhaust valves.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, essentially diagrammatical view of a foot control for the fuel injection means.

My vehicle power plant as herein illustrated is shown as adapted to an automobile. A chassis frame l supports four wheels 2 having individual drive axles 3. Each drive axle is connected to a rotary engine Il which may be any type of vop eration by compressed fluids and, for the purposes of this inventioamay becomidered as conventional. The rotary engines are actuated by compressed fluid supplied from power units 5,. Suitable control valves -6 mounted on the sides of the rotary engines regulate the supply. In the structure as shown in Figure l a power unit is provided for each pair of rotary engines assof elated with the front and rear wheels of the vehicle. A third power unit 5 and an associated rotary engine i is employed to drive a come pressor l, these being mounted on a common shaft e. A chain drive 9 connects shaft 8 with a second shaft 3a extending between the power units 5 associated with the vehicle wheels.

`Each power unit 5 comprises -a casing Il which forms a central cam chamber l2. Lateral cavities It extend from opposite sides of the cam chamber i2 and house control mechanisms. The upper walls of these cavities are closed by the lower walls of combustion chambers Ill.

Each combustion chamber is `provided with a compressed air inlet I5 controlled by a slide valve it. Set in the lower wall of each combustion chamber is a pressure operated discharge valve Il' and mechanically operated discharge valve i8. Passageways controlled by these valves are mani.- folded and connect to a motive fluid conduit I9 which extends from the power unit to a corresponding rotary engine 4 and its control valve 6.

Each combustion chamber is also equipped with an exhaust valve 2li communicating with an exhaust line 2 I. Mounted in the head of each corn.- bustion chamber is a spark plug 22. suitably positioned in the bottom wall of each combustion chamber is an injector nozzle A23.

The cam chamber I2 receives a cam guide? that is, closed except for its upper portion andhaving side walls which are thickened and ap..- prcpriately slotted to receive cam followers .to be described hereinafter. frame 2li is a cam shaft 25 which is connected with or made integral with the shafts 8 or 48a mentioned hereinbefore. As shown best in Figure 5, each cam shaft is provided with an yair intake cam 26 against which bears a pair of ,die ametrically opposed cam followers 2l and 21a guided by the frame 2li. The outer extremity 4of the cam followers 2l and 2id engage, respectively, bell cranks 28 and 28a which, in turn, are con.-l nected to corresponding slide valve i6. ,A spr'ng 29 functions to hold each cam follower agaii-istvr the cam 26.

Adjacent to the cam 26 is a spark rand injecter control cam 3:30, as shown ibest in Figure 6v, which iseneaeed .by eiametrically Opposed @am fQlf Centered within theV 3 lowers 3| and 3|a. The cam followers actuate levers 32 and 32d which, in turn, actuate fuel injector valves 33 associated with the fuel injector nozzles 23. Springs 34 hold the cam followers against the cam 30. Interposed between the levers 32 and 32a and their respective fuel injector valves 33 are volume control wedge members 35. These are mounted on suitable operating shafts 36 and are subjected to manual control, as by a foot pedal 33a shown in Figure 9.

The cam 3|] is also engaged by cam followers 31 and 31a which are connected to contact arms 38 and 38a, respectively. Each contact arm is provided at its remote extremity with contacts 39, one element of which is carried by a bracket 4D. Hinged to each bracket 4B is a secondary contact arm 4| The pressure operated discharge valve l1 is provided, as shown best in Figure 4, with a stem 42 which is guided by a suitable cage 43 and is adapted to engage the corresponding secondary contact arm 4|. The extremity of each secondary contact arm operates contacts 44, one element of which is carried by the arm l and the other element of which is nxed to the cage d3. A spring controlled rocker arm 45 tends to maintain closed the secondary contacts fili. Return springs 46 and 46a function to hold cam followers 3'l and 37a against the cam 30.

The cam followers 3| and Sla and 3l and Sia ride on different parts of the control cam and are therefore independently actuated.

As shown best in Figure 7, a .discharge valve control cam 4l is mounted on the cam shaft 25. This cam shaft is engaged by cam followers d and 48a which operate levers 49 and G9a positioned to engage valve stems 50 depending from the discharge valves i8. Springs urge the Valves to their closed positions in opposition to the action of the cam.

Also mounted on the cam shaft 25 is an exhaust valve control cam 53 engaged by cam followers 54 and 54a, as shown best in Figure 8. These operate levers 55 and 55a which engage valve stems 55 depending from the exhaust valves 20. Return springs 57 tend to maintain closed the exhaust valves 20.

If desired, an automatic control may be provided to operate the volume control wedge 35, either to supplement control by foot pedal or to operate automatically when the foot pedal is not used. Such automatic control is suggested in Figure 2 wherein a pressure responsive means |03 is mounted in the branch of the duct |83. Such pressure responsive means comprises a small cylinder communicating with the duct m3, a piston (not shown) subjected to pressure in the duct |53, and a stem. The stem is suitably connected through linkage |07 and through the shaft 36 so that movement of the wedge member 35 is in proportion to the pressure existing in the duct |03.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A power unit involving: a pair of fixed combustion chambers; a mechanically operated discharge valve and a pressure responsive discharge valve for each combustion chamber and sharing a common discharge duct; a mechanically operated intake valve for each combustion chamber controlling admission of compressed air thereto; a fuel injector for each combustion chamber; a

cam shaft disposed between said combustion chambers; means for rotating said cam shaft; a plurality of cams on said cam shaft; and sets of cam follower and linkage means for operatively connecting said cams with said mechanically operated discharge valve, said intake valve and said injection nozzle respectively, and ignition means for each of said combustion chambers including a spark plug, a first switch, cam means for operating said first switch in timed relation with said intake valve; a second switch in series with the first switch and operatively connected with said pressure responsive discharge valve and and said second switch opening on opening of said pressure responsive valve.

'2. A power unit involving: a pair of xed combustion chambers; a mechanically operated discharge valve and a pressure responsive discharge valve for each combustion chamber and sharing a common discharge duct; a mechanically operated intake valve for for each combustion chamber controlling admission of compressed air thereto; a mechanically operated exhaust valve for each combustion chamber; a fuel injector for each combustion chamber; a cam shaft disposed between said combustion chambers; means for rotating said cam shaft; a plurality of cams on said cam shaft; sets of cam follower and linkage means for operatively connecting said cams with said mechanically operated discharge valve, said exhaust valve, said intake Valve and said injector respectively; and ignition means for each of said combustion chambers including a spark plug, a rst switch, cam means for operating said first switch in timed relation with said intake valve; a second switch in series with the first switch and operatively connected with said pressure responsive discharge valve and said second switch opening on opening of said pressure responsive valve.

3. A power unit involving: a pair of fixed combustion chambers; a mechanically operated discharge valve and a pressure responsive discharge valve for each combustion chamber and sharing a common discharge duct; a mechanically operated intake valve lor each combustion chamber, controlling admission of compressed air thereto; an ignitor for each combustion chamber and a rst and second series connected control switch therefor; a fuel injector for each combustion chamber; a cam shaft disposed between said combustion chambers; means for rotating said a common discharge duct; a mechanically 0p-V erated intake valve for each combustion chamber controlling admission of compressed air thereto; an ignitor for each combustion chamber and a control switch therefor; a fuel injector for each combustion chamber; a cam shaft disposed between said combustion chambers; means for r0- tating said cam shaft; a plurality of cams on said cam shaft; sets of cam follower and linkage means for operatively connecting said cams with said mechanically operated discharge valve, said intake valve, said injector and said ignitor control switch respectively; and a second normally closed ignitor switch in series with each control switch, positioned to be opened by said pressure responsive discharge valve to terminate operation of said igntor.

5. A power unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said cam shaft rotating means is a motor connected with said cam shaft and is operated by a portion of the products of combustion from said combustion chambers; and a compressor for supplying air to said combustion -chambers is also operated by said motor.

`6. A power unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein: said cam shaft rotating means is a motor connected with said cam shaft and is operated by a portion of the products of combustion from said combustion chambers; and a compressor for supplying air to said combustion chambers is also operated by said motor.

FRANK M. CHRISTIAN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 

